Vintage Video Games #31 – Wario Land (Super Mario Land 3)

Let us not forget the humble Gameboy in our trip down memory lane! Wario Land (Super Mario Land 3) would have to be in my top favorites. This excellent little platformer was developed by Nintendo for the in 1994. It is the first video game to feature Wario as both a playable character and the main character.

The game takes place on a linear route through several themed areas, which are split into several courses culminating in a boss fight. Wario is able to jump on or bump into enemies to knock them over, during which he can pick them up and throw them at other enemies. When in his grown form, Wario is also able to perform a shoulder charge, which is used to attack enemies, break through blocks and open hidden treasure chests. There are additionally three unique helmets that Wario can obtain, with their own abilities, advantages and disadvantages to provide.

Plot:

After being ejected from Mario’s castle in the previous game, Wario resolves to get his own castle, one even bigger and more impressive than Mario’s. To fund this extravagant dream, he travels to Kitchen Island, where the Brown Sugar Pirates have hidden many treasures and coins. After exploring the island, stealing the pirates’ treasures, and infiltrating their Syrup Castle, Wario confronts the leader of the pirates, a female buccaneer named Captain Syrup. She summons a genie to destroy Wario, but he defeats the genie and Syrup destroys the castle with a large bomb as she escapes. In doing so, the pirates’ biggest treasure is revealed: a giant gold statue of Princess Toadstool. However, Mario appears in a helicopter and takes the statue away in front of Wario’s eyes.

Still holding the genie’s lamp, Wario summons the genie and wishes for a castle. The genie tells him that he requires money to grant his wish, and so Wario gives him all the coins the player has collected over the course of the game, plus trades in all the found treasures for more coins. Exactly how well the genie grants Wario’s wish depends on the final amount of coins he is given: Wario can get (from best to worst outcome) a castle, a Chinese pagoda, a log cabin, a treehouse, or a tiny birdhouse. If the player collects all the treasures and has enough coins to reach the 99,999 limit, the genie will give Wario an entire planet with his face etched on its surface.

Highlights:

A really fun, imaginative platform game (as with all Nintendo Mario productions!), Great playabilty, great graphics.

How to play:

Get you Gameboy emulator HERE:
Get your ROM HERE

About the Author

Fifties Born in an irish field - dj, designer, radio show host and blogger Louise 'Fifties' O'Donnell went out into the world with one mission in mind. To hunt down big phat bass lines and share them with the masses. Dedicated to finding new music she is always on the trail of new talent as well as the big playas.